Page 4328 - Week 13 - Thursday, 4 December 2014
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The changes to the residential development codes can only take effect if a variation to the territory plan is approved. The Planning and Development Act 2007 mandates a public consultation process for any territory plan variation as well as an approved variation being tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
A development application for a dual occupancy also requires public notification and cannot be approved if it is inconsistent with the provisions in the territory plan. It is worth noting that a single dwelling that complies with the rules in the single dwelling housing development code is exempt from requiring development approval and therefore exempt from neighbour notification.
On this issue it is also worth mentioning that the gross floor area limit that applies to dual occupancy in the RZ1 zone is much less than the gross floor area limit that applies to a single dwelling. A dual occupancy is required to comply with a sliding scale plot ratio requirement that allows a maximum plot ratio of 32.5 per cent. A single dwelling, however, can have a plot ratio of up to 50 per cent. This means the bulk and scale of a dual occupancy in the suburban zone are already closely managed, and this will not change.
In summary, to enable greater flexibility for redevelopment of loose-fill asbestos affected blocks it is suggested to expand certain planning provisions applicable to these blocks. This provides greater flexibility for redevelopment and assists to increase the value of these blocks. There is no intention to amend the provisions more broadly to apply to all RZ1 suburban zone blocks.
In relation to my role as Minister for Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations, I would like to note that ensuring worker and community safety is a priority for government, and asbestos safety is at the forefront of this commitment. This is demonstrated by the recently passed asbestos safety reform legislation. On 25 November 2014, the Dangerous Substances (Asbestos Safety Reform) Amendment Bill 2014 was passed in the Legislative Assembly, paving the way for the adoption of the national model asbestos laws.
I have agreed to adopt the new WHS regulations via the Work Health and Safety (Asbestos) Amendment Regulation 2014 and I anticipate it will be notified on the legislation register very shortly. The new laws will commence on 1 January 2015. These reforms will result in the territory having the strongest asbestos safety laws in the country and, although they will have a broad application—they will apply to all workplaces, for example—they will also have direct implications on the demolition of loose-fill contaminated houses.
For example, the work health and safety regulations have specific sections relating to identification and removal of asbestos before demolition of residential premises, notifying the regulator prior to asbestos removal, notifying anyone occupying premises in the immediate vicinity of the workplace of asbestos removal, the process that must be followed regarding the removal of friable asbestos, and health monitoring for workers.
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